Simply put, I want to know what features you'd like to see in the next generation. Since I teach a class (in my spare time) about the Art and Technology of modern graphical features and techniques, and considering I see a lot of you with so many questions, I feel it is my duty to help inform the less savvy. When I say features, I mean stuff like SSS (Sub-Surface Scattering), AF (Anisotropic Filtering), what AA (Anti-Aliasing) solutions, Advanced Subdivision (Tessellation), etc, etc... I only ask because, while I can't talk too much about everything I know, or have seen, I can share what I've had at my disposal and can inform on what I'd say you should expect. The new thread will have visual references from my own work, engines with next gen games in production, and resources to help everyone better understand what's coming, what hardware will run it, and to provide a benchmark (that we'll refer back to in the distant future).

So, that thread will become one that I'll allow as many relevant necro-bumps as possible. It will be our own little "Official" Next Generation Benchmark Report Card Thread. Meaning, we'll compare what I show, in 2018, as references and when next gen games start to release, we can see if everything I presented is being properly represented in those projects. Remember, this is just the idea thread. The main one will go up after I've gotten plenty of feedback. And, please, have fun with this guys. I know a lot of you have a passion for this stuff, but may not have the knowledge or resources to see it before it goes mainstream. I want to help with that, since this, along with Robotics, is my 2nd biggest passion (advancement of CGI). As the "Graphics Guy" around here, this is almost a responsibility rather than just for fun. I think this community deserves it and so many of you have inspired me to work harder, improve my own pipelines with each passing day, and use my skills to help teach, rather than just bragging about what techniques I have access to. :)

So, have at it. Keep on topic and try not to make it about any specific game (out or in production). I would just like to know what advanced graphical techniques you'd like as a standard for next gen.

EDIT: Oops, now that the thread has been renamed, my post is no longer on topic. I wish VGChartz had a way to delete a post completely and remove it from the VGC buddy...

Evolution in gameplay instead of just graphics.

One of my biggest issues with the current gen is that with very few exceptions, it feels exactly like last gen just with prettier pixels. Gameplay has not really evolved meaningfully since about 2009 IMHO.

One of the few exceptions is BOTW, and that's the kind of thing I'd like to see more of in the future; games that push interactivity and simulation to achieve new levels of emergent gameplay. I want to see next gen games take BOTW's dynamic physics and chemistry mechanics, and give them a generational leap in sophistication, scale, and extensiveness.

Last edited by curl-6 - on 21 June 2018

Bet with Liquidlaser: I say PS5 and Xbox Series X will sell more than 56 million combined by the end of 2023.

Prepare for a whole load of nonsense from someone who doesn't really know what he's talking about;

Okay, so what I'd like to see from next gen consoles, in terms of graphical improvements, is better shadow mapping and/or dynamic shadows, whatever they're calling them... there are currently games that can look gorgeous, but are let down by horrendously low quality shadows that are either very pixelated, blend awfully, or flicker/shimmer, and it's extremely offputting, especially self shadows that are cast by hair and clothes etc.

Also related to shadows, please stop with the prebaked lighting, next gen let's just eliminate that and go to actual dynamic real time lighting solutions or something, I hate when there's all these shadows on the floor and walls, yet they don't interact with my player at all, sort of pulls him out of the scene like he doesn't belong there. I know some games do this, but there are still games guilty of just adding a shadow texture onto surfaces to make it "look better".

Another thing which some games do but it kind of bugs me that not all games do... when you're playing an FPS game which is supposed to be realistic, then you look down and guess what... you're a fucking floating head! You have no body or legs or anything! I know it's nothing to do with processing power or whatever since your character will exist in the scene, they probably just hide parts to avoid any weird camera clipping (Like being able to see your own face if there's a sudden camera shake... I don't know)

Not even sure where to start... I am a big supporter of Ray Tracing as that is where tech is currently heading... And games have been leveraging that technology to various degrees since the 7th gen console hardware.

Currently Playing:

I need to learn a lot more about graphics techniques. I know a little bit about a few things like what AA, ray tracing are.

I'm hoping to take a graphics course next Spring, but I'll learn on my own otherwise.

Bristow9091 said:

Another thing which some games do but it kind of bugs me that not all games do... when you're playing an FPS game which is supposed to be realistic, then you look down and guess what... you're a fucking floating head! You have no body or legs or anything! I know it's nothing to do with processing power or whatever since your character will exist in the scene, they probably just hide parts to avoid any weird camera clipping (Like being able to see your own face if there's a sudden camera shake... I don't know)

It's not really anything close to what CGI had in mind, but this is related to something that I'm pretty excited about for VR.

One thing that Oculus was messing around with was body tracking, so you could be able to look down and see your legs and chest.

They are also messing around with face tracking, so you could be able to look down at a pond and see a reflection of your own face. I'm pretty excited for that...

I'm not sure if this falls under the penumbra of "advanced techniques," but something that didn't get improved that much this gen was the presence of conspicuous popping/LOD-ing of textures and even entire objects. I hope that there's a better focus on minimizing that.

The biggest thing I would like to see perfected is collision detection and interactive objects. I want all foliage, Weapons, Hair, etc. to move properly without clipping through the characters. Seeing objects stick through a character or fail to interact is jarring when everything else looks solid.

I agree with Bristow9091 that we need shadows to be improved to eliminate the crawling and flickering issue.

Otherwise I just want a massive leap in texture quality and draw distance, with beautiful transistions as we move through the environment no more jarring geometry and texture popin issues.

Stop hate, let others live the life they were given. Everyone has their problems, and no one should have to feel ashamed for the way they were born. Be proud of who you are, encourage others to be proud of themselves. Learn, research, absorb everything around you. Nothing is meaningless, a purpose is placed on everything no matter how you perceive it. Discover how to love, and share that love with everything that you encounter. Help make existence a beautiful thing.

Currently Playing:

KBG29 said:The biggest thing I would like to see perfected is collision detection and interactive objects. I want all foliage, Weapons, Hair, etc. to move properly without clipping through the characters. Seeing objects stick through a character or fail to interact is jarring when everything else looks solid.

I agree with Bristow9091 that we need shadows to be improved to eliminate the crawling and flickering issue.

Otherwise I just want a massive leap in texture quality and draw distance, with beautiful transistions as we move through the environment no more jarring geometry and texture popin issues.

99% this. Just replace texture quality with texture filtering and lighting and you pretty much get my wants. I have no interest in which techniques they could utilize to achieve that because I'm a proud console peasant.

The one technique I want generalized (meaning on ALL games) is 60 fps STABLE, I could even live with 1080p games next gen if the frame rate is high and stable. If they can throw in 4K along then fine, I'll take it but if it's one or the other then I'd love a stable high frame rate on ALL games. Nowadays more and more games are 60 fps on PS4 and that's great but it shouldn't even be an issue on next gen. There should not be a need to say: The new game XXX comes at 60 fps. It should be standard, like color. No game ad says: The next game in our franchise will be in COLOR, cause it's standard stuff.